History, as events and actions

Probably the most famous definition of politics, in part because of its vagueness, is Lasswell's definition that politics is "Who gets what, when and how." Politics is tethered to history, something that one of my teachers at Marymount drilled into me. Any firm grasp of history has to start with understanding the basics at the political level of the time in question.

By twisting Lasswell's wording, we can also get a good, basic definition of history: "Who does what, when and how." In short, one of the keys to understanding history is actions (which include major events, such as battles and wars.) Basic doesn't make it wrong, and in fact, is probably the best way to get your bearings on history.

Tinner Hill Monument

Today, I was on my way to Victory Comics for Free Comic Book Day. I actually used to work at a building near by, so I know the area pretty well. One day while I was getting off the work, I noticed a stone arch. Since I was early that day, I swung by to take a closer look. Today, when I was going by, I had my camera, so I took a picture.

It's a monument.

Super Moon and Meteor Shower

Not the name of a comic book hero and sidekick duo. Rather, the name of an upcoming awesome nighttime sky event. Which is something that everyone should try and see. Though, no one should try and make them into a comic book. Solely because I cannot imagine it ending well. Because, writing comic books is hard.

GM Secrets: Challenges are More Than CRs

Most games have a reasonably good threat-to-excitement curve. During the early game, you are dealing with minor threats, then you save the world in the end. In fiction, challenging your heroes is important. Long running series (or table top adventures) often run into the problem where the new threat is only novel; not actually dangerous. You can take a breather episode or session to deal with a minor nuisance, build character or whatever. But, don't have threats vary as wildly as the stock market.

Robots: Taking Our Jobs!

Today, CNN had a post about whether robots should take our jobs. First, let me say, that I doubt we will see, even in a few generations, mechanization and robotics at a high enough level that we will realistically be losing droves of repetitive jobs to robots. Because, without jobs, who is going to buy the robots? On a more serious matter, we simply don't have a self-perpetuating economy strong enough to survive without a large percentage of the population employed. A robotic workforce will require a revolutionary new economic model, one that I don't think can exist.

So, basically, self-checkout lanes, for example, can only replace so many tellers.

Great Books, Great History: The Great Gatsby

If you want to understand a culture, you often try to get a good grasp of some of their stories and myths. When I was growing up, for example, I remember reading myths as we progressed through history. I think the same is true for getting a good grasp of historical context of an era. Some of the literature you read may be nonfiction (for example, Frederick Douglass' autobiography).

The Great Gatsby is probably one of the best examples of American fiction that ties perfectly into what is supposed to be this blog's driving theme: the marriage of literature, myth and history. Gatsby is an enigma; he captures not just Nick's imagination, but the spirit of what we've come to associate with the 1920s. Like Paul Revere's poetic ride, the myth is different than the actual history, but the story itself informs us in ways that a straight history does not.

I Need an Editor; So Do You

This is a truism for every writer, ever. You need an editor; I need an editor. There was an article I read years ago about how Stephen King needed an editor (an awesome article I wish I was not too lazy to look up). Now, the main reason I'm writing this is because, as I was working over the next few pages of my page-a-day challenge, I realized that my writing is choppy, unfocused and just plain bad.

You know what would help that? An editor. It will help almost any piece of writing to put it in front of critical eyes to have them look at it and tell you it stinks.